In the prior art, deep-sea fishing devices known as lever drag or trolling reels included noise-making devices which could be set to make a noise when the line was played out from the spool of the reel. An essential secondary effect of the click mechanism was that it provided resistance which served to protect the angler from an over-run, a condition where the reel turns without line leaving the spool resulting in a hopeless tangle of line on the reel and usually a lost fish. Typically, fishermen using this type of reel have a number of rods and reels with baits attached to the lines; and troll, drift, or anchor for fish. When a fish takes a bait, it pulls line from the reel, thereby turning the spool. Distractions may interfere with the angler's ability to notice that a fish has taken a bait, and that line is being taken from the reel. By engaging the noise-making device, known as the "click" mechanism or simply the "click", the fisherman would be able to tell when and from which reel line was being played; because of the noise created by the clicker. These devices had "on/off" positions, such that, in the "off" position the noise maker was not engaged with the ratchet mounted to the spool, and the line could freely and silently be taken from the spool. In the "on" position, when line was pulled from the spool, the noise-maker would make noise. It would also impose a slight amount of drag on the spool. When a fisherman had the need for additional drag to hold a heavy bait or a large bait with lots of drag resistance in a strong current, yet did not want a steady drag on the spool once his bait was taken, he would wedge rigid foam between the line on the spool and the reel frame. When a fish would strike the bait, the foam would pop out and resistance on the line would decrease to the minimal amount provided by the click (enough, hopefully, to prevent overrun). Needless to say this use of foam is a patch job; for want of a better click mechanism.
Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,166 issued to Franklin D. Riddle et al on Dec. 28, 1971 and are generally known as "clickers". In that patent, a rotary plate 14 has an annular row of relatively shallow dimples or recesses 15 which coact with a clicker element or pin 16 to produce the desired clicking sound to alert the fisherman that the fish had swallowed the bait and was running with the line. See FIGS. 5 and 6. Adjustability of the click is desirable as it is useful to vary the noise and resistance which the click creates; as well as to to turn the click on and off. The prior art includes many different ways of adjusting various types of click mechanisms, but no prior art describes a click which has the versatility necessary for a big game trolling reel. The prior art devices can be grouped into just two categories. All clicks contain a moving notched member (ratchet) which interacts with a stationary member (click). The first category of adjustable clickers have a common adjustment in that the action of the mechanism is adjusted by the position of the click in relation to the ratchet. Prior art which fits into this category includes; U.S. Pat. No. 2,116,581 issued to E. N. Moor on May 10, 1938; U.S. Pat. No. 330,811 issued to J. Vom Hofe on Nov. 17, 1885; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,166 issued to F. D. Riddle et al. on Dec. 28, 1971.
A second category of adjustable clicker has a common adjustment in that the position in which the click is attached in relation to the ratchet is constant, but the force which urges the click into contact with the ratchet is varied. No means is provided for quickly turning the click "on" or "off". Prior art which fits into this category includes: U.S. Pat. No. 2,489,457 issued to M. Maerk on Nov. 29, 1949 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,649 issued to J. N. Payen on Aug. 6, 1974.
The click pawl device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,649 discloses a device for adjusting the braking force and noise in such a device.